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How can those of us in science and technology support the humanities more?

by goda90 5y ago

Fomite 5y ago
From the prospective of a STEM professor: Honestly? Don't shit on STEM courses. Encourage programs that produce well-rounded students in the liberal arts tradition. Most humanities departments are dependent on class enrollment - they are so-called "service" departments (vs. research or clinical departments). Enrollment is largely what determines what those departments can support.
NikolaNovak 5y ago
I think, and this is not to be snarky, the predecessor question is "Why should we [in science and technology] support the humanities more". I feel a lot of the answer of "How" will be in the "Why". If area/endevour is not seen as producing value or being rewarding, it'll naturally atrophy. If we have a compelling reason for Why that area is rewarding or producing value, it may need as little as an informational/awareness campaign to promote that value/reward. (note that I am NOT defining "producing value" in dollar terms necessarily, but more generically as "something that somebody or society values". Otherwise, it becomes "something you do for fun for yourself", which is an awesome hobby and everybody should have some, but may not necessarily need to be externally sponsored. I.e. I pay to play music and paint and photograph as a hobby, other people are paid to play music/paint/photograph/etc, and I'm not sure either model is the only right model). I notice the Historian PhD's only track is defined in that article as somebody who will teach history, not as somebody who will research/write/promote history. This makes it a a very small subset of what I would've considered a Historian / History PhD, and as such, again, I return to "Why" they may need external support if their interaction is strictly inward/cyclical.
alexgmcm 5y ago
To be fair, most STEM PhDs have pretty grim prospects too. There was a famous post, "Don't Become a Scientist!"[1] about Physics in particular. It includes the memorable line: "I have known more people whose lives have been ruined by getting a Ph.D. in physics than by drugs." Which I suspect tells us more about Katz's social circle than anything else but nonetheless shows that it certainly isn't a rosy wonderland in STEM. [1] http://katz.fastmail.us/scientist.html http://katz.fastmail.us/scientist.html
- ProjectArcturis 5y ago
  Interesting article, but that guy is, well, an odd duck. http://katz.fastmail.us/defense.html http://katz.fastmail.us/defense.html http://katz.fastmail.us/baghdad.html http://katz.fastmail.us/baghdad.html
  - leetcrew 5y ago
    that first one is extremely strange (didn't bother reading the second). the entire argument is that homosexuality is wrong because promiscuous homosexual men spread disease. but what about exclusive homosexual relationships? also wrong, merely by association. what?
thenoblesunfish 5y ago
Emphasize those things in the education of your children.
kansface 5y ago
This is a fundamental supply and demand problem for history PhD degrees which is out of balance by at least a factor of 4 or 5. There is nothing anyone can do to fix that, nor do I think we should (further subsidize tulips). Encouraging everyone to go to college who possibly can and to get a PhD is dystopian! The faster we correct the actual problem the better for everyone.

How can those of us in science and technology support the humanities more?

by goda90 5y ago

How can those of us in science and technology support the humanities more?

From the prospective of a STEM professor: Honestly? Don't shit on STEM courses. Encourage programs that produce well-rounded students in the liberal arts tradition. Most humanities departments are dependent on class enrollment - they are so-called "service" departments (vs. research or clinical departments). Enrollment is largely what determines what those departments can support.

NikolaNovak 5y ago

I think, and this is not to be snarky, the predecessor question is "Why should we [in science and technology] support the humanities more". I feel a lot of the answer of "How" will be in the "Why". If area/endevour is not seen as producing value or being rewarding, it'll naturally atrophy. If we have a compelling reason for Why that area is rewarding or producing value, it may need as little as an informational/awareness campaign to promote that value/reward. (note that I am NOT defining "producing value" in dollar terms necessarily, but more generically as "something that somebody or society values". Otherwise, it becomes "something you do for fun for yourself", which is an awesome hobby and everybody should have some, but may not necessarily need to be externally sponsored. I.e. I pay to play music and paint and photograph as a hobby, other people are paid to play music/paint/photograph/etc, and I'm not sure either model is the only right model). I notice the Historian PhD's only track is defined in that article as somebody who will teach history, not as somebody who will research/write/promote history. This makes it a a very small subset of what I would've considered a Historian / History PhD, and as such, again, I return to "Why" they may need external support if their interaction is strictly inward/cyclical.

alexgmcm 5y ago

To be fair, most STEM PhDs have pretty grim prospects too. There was a famous post, "Don't Become a Scientist!"[1] about Physics in particular. It includes the memorable line: "I have known more people whose lives have been ruined by getting a Ph.D. in physics than by drugs." Which I suspect tells us more about Katz's social circle than anything else but nonetheless shows that it certainly isn't a rosy wonderland in STEM. [1] http://katz.fastmail.us/scientist.html http://katz.fastmail.us/scientist.html

ProjectArcturis 5y ago
Interesting article, but that guy is, well, an odd duck. http://katz.fastmail.us/defense.html http://katz.fastmail.us/defense.html http://katz.fastmail.us/baghdad.html http://katz.fastmail.us/baghdad.html
- leetcrew 5y ago
  that first one is extremely strange (didn't bother reading the second). the entire argument is that homosexuality is wrong because promiscuous homosexual men spread disease. but what about exclusive homosexual relationships? also wrong, merely by association. what?

thenoblesunfish 5y ago

Emphasize those things in the education of your children.

kansface 5y ago

This is a fundamental supply and demand problem for history PhD degrees which is out of balance by at least a factor of 4 or 5. There is nothing anyone can do to fix that, nor do I think we should (further subsidize tulips). Encouraging everyone to go to college who possibly can and to get a PhD is dystopian! The faster we correct the actual problem the better for everyone.